N. Berwick High vs Edinburgh private day school

[Partridge]

I have posted this elsewhere but am looking for traffic, so I'd be hugely grateful for any advice. I am aware I am asking for a comparison between apples and pears, but I am really dithery and need some help.

We could scrape independent day school fees for our 3 kids but it would be a big struggle and would mean sacrificing lots of holidays etc. This has always been the plan (probably the Edinburgh Academy) but I am starting to get pretty nervous about the committment this would entail and what could happen if our circumstances change.

We have 3 ds - the eldest is in p5, so we are thinking about secondary now - he is very sensitive and I worry that at a big Edinburgh high school he would get lost. The other 2 are more robust and would probably be fine.

Could anyone give me any feedback about how these schools may compare. Particularly how N.Berwick has suited a kid of a sensitive disposition who is inclined to daydreaming! My dh is not massively keen to move to N. Berwick, but I know it well and love it. We could afford a pretty decent house in N.Berwick if we sold here (especially if not committing to fees).

Thanks in advance.

Hmmm, we debated this too. We also have 3 DC & private school fees mean fewer choices on holidays/houses etc.

Something that really helped us was discussing & defining what the differences were between our choice of private secondary & NB. Have you been to visit NB High & the Academy? We really liked NB and both NB primary and secondary schools but decided that what came over was that the teachers made comments like 'if we have the funding', 'we're not sure if we will be offering that subject in X years time', 'there have been a lot of families moving into the new development homes and classes are becoming squeezed' etc etc.

We felt that private education offered a more stable and varied choice of subjects in a changing Education budget & growth in birth rate/influx of students as a newdevelopment of up to 400 Miller homes is now being built near the Law, which is causing merry hell in NB and East Lothian council are, AFAIK, debating whether or not to open a new primary school in NB as nobody seems to have realised the effect on education places. It would be worth checking up what is going on now.

So we're still in Edinburgh and the eldest DC has begun attending private school. We're on camping holidays for the foreseeable future!

It's a great school, you will live in a lovely town and be part of a community. It may not have all the bells and whistles of a private school but I suspect your kids will do just as well there. At the end of their school years your house in North berwick is an asset. Alternatively throw vast amounts of cash at private school and have very little to show by the end of it.

I don't live in nb btw but know it fairly well.

'Throwing' your money at a private school and not having much to show at the end of it seems rather harsh comment onlyhereforthecamping.

I suppose I am at the other end of the argument from you and if one can afford it then I do think private schools offer so much more than state. It's not just about the education, private schools offer so much more. If you were to go and see one on a working day, not a particular one, but you would see the difference.
It's a sacrifice for some m, mostly all, but speaking from experience it is not a waste of money.

Thanks for the comments. I am not going to get involved in the private vs state debate other than to say that I went to a boarding public school and didn't take advantage of any of the "extras" (eg sport/activities/clubs). I came out with 3 As at A level, but tbh am only now, at the age of 37 getting my teeth into a career (which is totally unrelated to anything I have done academically so far). My dh went to a Scottish high school and is pretty successful.

So I remain slightly cynical about the advantages of private school (although as you can see, still slightly fence sitting!) I also think so much of it is down to a secure grounding and the ability to help nurture potential from home. Any more thoughts welcome, and thanks so far!

I know two young folk currently at north Berwick high who are well rounded lovely and have made me consider a move there.. Don't want to get into the private state thing but genuinely feel it's a great school and if my oh was up for it would consider a move there. For me the travel would be the thing, we both work in Edinburgh and the going back and forth to school and work I would consider. If you are at home or could work locally def worth looking at law and nbh.

Thanks datec. Commuting is my dh reservation too, but I would be home-based. Good to hear more good things about the kids. I'm mostly interested in roundedness rather than results etc. I want my kids to grow up happy, with successful relationships and a sense of social responsibility. If they can meet their potential academically all the better, but happiness and security is paramount.

Partridge I feel exactly the same. The friends they make and pastoral care in the school so much more important than statistics to me. yhey will get the results they work for. Def go and have s look at the schools. The teenagers I know are funny articulate and well rounded.

Great! Sounding more and more promising. I'll definitely go and take a look. I'm a bit embarrassed to say that much of my research so far has been stalking videos the pupils have made on YouTube . It gives a reasonable indication of some quite funny, ballsy kids with a feeling of inclusiveness and camaraderie. More useful to me than the good schools guide tbh.

Don't be embarrassed I love that, good thinking, sounds like ideal transfers from what you have found.. I so wish we could move there but my oh is a city boy